Monday, 31 August 2015

The 12th volume of Keito Koume's manga adaptation of Isuna Hasekura's Spice and Wolf (Ōkami to Kōshinryō) light novels revealed on Thursday that the manga series will enter its final arc in the 13th volume. MediaWorksannounced the manga adaptation in 2007, and the series debuted in the November issue of Kadokawa's Dengeki Maoh magazine that year. New chapters are serialized monthly in the magazine. Jū Ayakura, who illustrated the Spice and Wolf novels, designed the characters for the manga. The North American publisher Yen Presslicensed the manga in 2009 and will ship the 11th volume this September.
The Spice and Wolf story follows a peddler who discovers a wolf girl who wants to return to her northern home after serving as a town's goddess of harvest for many years. The peddler strikes a deal to bring the wolf girl north, and she brings him both prosperity and unwanted attention from the church. MediaWorks published the novels Japan, and shipped the 16th and final volume in February 2011. Yen Presslicensed the novels in September 2008, and will ship the final volume in December.
The novels also inspired two TV anime seasons directed by Takeo Takahashi and written by Naruhisa Arakawa. The first season aired in Japan from January to March 2008, and the second (Spice and Wolf II) from July to September 2009. North American anime distributor Funimationlicensedboth seasons.

A website for Anime Radio UK, a new online radio station, announces that the station will start broadcast on September 7.
According to the site, 'Anime Radio UK is the only official radio station dedicated to bringing you the very best music from Japanese anime, video games, film, Jpop, Jrock and everything else inbetween... Anime Radio UK is the only radio station in the country that broadcasts only Japanese music so we take our responsibilities very seriously and support the global music industries. We work closely with licensing bodies and agencies both in the United Kingdom and Japan to ensure that artists and creators are fairly paid the royalties that they are due for their musical creations.'
The Station Manager Adam Hughes told ANN, 'The station will play Japanese music from a wide variety of genres. It's not just back to back music like most other online radio stations, Anime Radio UK will be broadcasting a variety of original and exclusive content, some being live and others pre-recorded. The program line-up will be expanding over the weeks and months after launch.'
The programmes currently listed on the site include a daily chat show and the Oricon Top 30 Singles Chart (the Japanese music chart). There will also be shows about new releases and 'indie and alternative Japan,' as well as an 'Album of the Week' program.
According to the contact page on the website, the station's office is in Colwyn Bay, with a Japanese office in Osaka.
The station has a twitter feed here and a facebook page here.

North American manga publisher Kodansha Comics announced at its panel at the WakuWaku+NYC event on Saturday that it has licensed Hiro Mashima and Yūsuke Shirato's Fairy Tail Ice Trail (Tale of Fairy Tail: Ice Trail) manga and Adachitoka's Noragami: Stray Stories (Noragami: Shuishu) manga. Fairy Tail: Ice Trail centers around the boyhood of the character Gray Fullbuster, following him from when he loses his teacher until he joins the Fairy Tail guild. Shirato launched the spinoff series in the inaugural issue of Kodansha's Monthly Fairy Tail magazine in July 2014, and ended the series in the magazine's 13th issue on July 17. Kodansha Comics will release the manga during the 2015 holiday season.
Additionally, Kodansha Comics announced that it will release Fairy Tail: Masters Edition 2 in spring 2016. The volume, which collects the original manga's volumes 6-10, will be 7 inches by 10.5 inches and will use high-quality paper. The first Masters Edition volume ships in October. Each volume will retail for US$39.99.

Kodansha Comics describes Noragami: Stray Stories as "a collection of more lighthearted short stories from Noragami creator Adachitoka, featuring all the characters fans have come to love and root for." The company will release the manga in November 2015.

Kodanshareleased the first volume of Noragami: Stray Stories in Japan in November 2013. BONES is adapting one of the stories from the manga as an original anime DVD that will ship with the 15th volume of the manga in Japan in November. Adachitoka launched the main Noragami: Stray God manga in Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine in 2011, and the company will ship the 14th compiled volume in Japan in September. Kodansha Comics published the sixth manga volume in North America on August 18, and it will release new volumes monthly starting in October 2015. The company will release the seventh volume in October, and new volumes will ship each month until the English release catch up to the Japanese release in mid-2016.

In addition to the films already announced for the Scotland Loves Anime festival, a page on the festival's website is listing the Psycho-Pass feature film as one of the screenings. UK Anime Newsreports that the film will be shown in Edinburgh on Sunday October 18

Tickets for the Glasgow leg of the 2015 Scotland Loves Anime festival are now available online. The venue is the Glasgow Film Theatre. Additionally a Glasgow guest is confirmed - Keiichi Hara, director of Miss Hokusai, one of the films represented. (Keiichi Hara previously directed the film Colorful.)
In addition, the line-up in Edinburgh is also confirmed, with tickets to go on sale in early September. See the bottom of this story for a list of films being shown in Edinburgh.
Two of the films are being screened by Scotland Loves Anime very shortly after they will open in Japanese cinemas. Attack on Titan: End of the World (live-action), an exclusive Glasgow screening, will open in Japan in September. The Empire of Corpses, screening at both Glasgow and Edinburgh, opens in Japan in October.

5 p.m. - Miss Hokusai (historical drama about the daughter of the painter Hokusai), pictured left. The film will be introduced by the director, Keiichi Hara, who will return after the film for a live Q&A.

The Radio Times issue for 28 August 1975 covered the story with a feature on Loch Ness by Anthony Haden-Guest with artwork from Frank Bellamy. You can read more on the Radio Times story guide by Mark Braxton.

What is Nessie? Who can tell? In a new series starting this week, Dr Who takes on the unidentified incumbent of Loch Ness. Here Anthony Haden-Guest plumbs the murky depths of the Scottish mystery.

In article about Doctor Who in The Listener for 2nd October 1975, Jack Waterman wrote:

On another level, admirers of polystyrene suitings—to say nothing of shareholders in plastics firms—must like the work to be seen on Dr Who. To name but one monster, and the most recent, the Zygon was a creation of genius—an amber-coloured, heavy-duty plastic individual—and yet another tribute to designers who have, through this programme alone, over the years put the BBC well ahead, in a field whose first drawing-board effort was no less than Frankenstein's creation. [p. 437]

BBC Worldwide have confirmed the broadcast of series premiere The Magician's Apprentice in some more of their worldwide schedules.

The Far East will get to see the latest adventures of the Doctor and Clara only a few hours after the United Kingdom, with BBC Asia confirming that it will show the episode on Saturday 20th September at 10:00am (3:00am UK time). The series will be shown on BBC Entertainment at both 10:00am and a prime-time 8:15pm, with various repeats throughout the week thereafter. The channel is currently available in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Burma, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Belgium and the Netherlands will see The Magician's Apprentice a couple of days later, as BBC First air the premiere prime-time on Monday 22nd September at 9:00pm; as with BBC Asia the episode will be repeated several times during the week before the next episode airs.

Update: Australia is now confirmed for 7:40pm 20th September Check our guide page for the latest transmission updates, and for general broadcasting details around the world see This Week in Doctor Who.

Miwk Publishing have released details of two forthcoming memoirs of men who have worked on Doctor Who.

A Peculiar Effect on the BBC is the memoir of visual effects designer Bernard Wilkie. The book will feature a foreword by visual effects designer Mat Irvine and an afterword by visual effects designer Mike Tucker.

A Peculiar Effect on the BBCWritten by Bernard WilkieForeword by Mat IrvineAfterword by Mike TuckerCover design by Robert HammondPublished in September 2015

Bernard Wilkie is a pioneer in the world of visual effects. Along with Jack Kine he co-founded the BBC’s Visual Effects Department in 1954. Between them they worked on too many BBC productions to list, but chief among them were Doctor Who, Out of the Unknown, Quatermass, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and Some Mothers Do ‘ave ‘em. He passed away in 2002, writing this book in the late 1990s.

A Peculiar Effect on the BBC is his previously unpublished memoir and looks back on his career as a whole, covering each programme in detail with a light, but still educational, and often cautionary tone.

Whether it’s trying to make a smoke gun, encase an Ice Warrior in a block of ice, creating a Loch Ness Monster or simply coming up with a way of presenting a photo collection on screen utilising only one studio camera, Bernard and Jack rose to the occasion – often choking, soaking and terrifying their colleagues in the process. And almost all of these effects had to be done live – the pressure was on!

Bernard also talks in detail about the BBC taking over Ealing Studios and the construction of the now-defunct Television Centre. For anyone interested in the history of television, this is a fascinating eye witness account.

To Put You in the PictureWritten by Robert Banks StewartInternal illustrations by Jamie LenmanCover design by Andrew OrtonPublished in October 2015

The memoir of Robert Banks Stewart, one of Britain’s most legendary television writer/producers, whose career has spanned five decades. Viewers who have watched television and its development over this period – including viewers of today – will be hugely entertained by this splendid autobiography.

The author has penned a host of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, most of them hitherto untold, plus descriptions of his considerable work experiences with refreshing candour (successes and failures) and delightful humour.

Credited with breaking the mould of early UK thriller dramas with ground-breaking series like Shoestring and Bergerac, he purposely set them away from the usual easy, endlessly grim metropolitan street backgrounds derived from BBC Radio, instead exploiting different locations – like the West Country and the Channel Island of Jersey. He also cleverly cast new actors such as John Nettles, Trevor Eve, Greta Scaachi and Catherine Zeta-Jones, rather than established stars, whilst also featuring film veterans like Terence Alexander and Michael Medwin in regular roles. Writing, adapting and producing – with what was called ‘the touch’ – Robert Banks Stewart was also responsible for many more hit television series, among them the initial productions of The Darling Buds of May and Lovejoy.

To regular Miwk customers, Robert Banks Stewart will be most recognisable as the author of two of the most popular Doctor Who serials, 'Terror of the Zygons' and 'The Seeds of Doom', the titular creatures from the former having recently returned to Doctor Who in the recent 50th anniversary special.

'To Put You in the Picture' is illustrated by Jamie Lenman, with cover design by Andrew Orton.

The book is available to pre-order in hardback here, priced £13.99 when ordered direct from Miwk.

Charlotte Moore, controller of BBC One, announced at the Edinburgh Television Festival on Wednesday that former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies is to adapt William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for BBC One, with the help of the Doctor Who production team. Davies was spotted in Cardiff with David Tennant earlier this month which led to speculation amongst fans as to what the pair were doing in the city. The cast for A Midsummer Night’s Dream is still to be announced.

I’ve wanted to make this for the BBC for my entire adult life - and only the BBC can put on a play like this, for all the family, smack-bang in the heart of primetime. With a riot of prosthetics, CGI, magic and action, it needs the brilliant Doctor Who team in Cardiff to bring it to life.

For one night only, BBC One becomes the Globe, with a bold and accessible 90-minute adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Adapted by Russell T Davies (Doctor Who, Cucumber), it is a truthful version of the play - the original play, the original words, the original Shakespeare. Warm and funny, it will have as much attitude and invention as any theatrical interpretation.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a much-loved comedy by William Shakespeare, set in the tyrannical court of Athens and the magical forest around the city. The single drama will be for everyone: children, who can laugh at Bottom and his Mechanicals and marvel at the fairies’ awesome powers; for adults, who know those broken hearts and star-crossed lovers all too well; for whole families, united in front of the television to enjoy the play’s dazzling world of danger, jokes, scares, poetry, thrills and fun.

The BBC Cymru Wales production will be filming in Roath Lock, Cardiff for transmission in 2016 as part of BBC’s Shakespeare Season.

Colin Baker is to star in a new horror/comedy feature film by Amber Pictures. Baker's character is described as "an ancient Demon intent on bringing about the apocalypse". The film also stars Suzanne Shaw and Chris R. Wright, with more cast members being announced over the coming months. The film is expected to be released in Autumn/Winter 2016.

On the brink of divorce from his wife Joanna, selfish slob Simon Fisher reluctantly agrees to attend a Halloween supper with his snobby next door neighbours, Phil and Pam. When Simon and Joanna arrive they meet the fifth guest, a mysterious old man. The stranger, is in fact a demon, intent on imprisoning them in the house until midnight, when he will decide which one of them to possess for the next one hundred years. A horror comedy that plays on the prejudices we have for the people next door. Best get to know your neighbours as you may need them some day.

Friday, 28 August 2015

The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) filed a lawsuit against two Seattle residents on Wednesday, claiming that the Pokémon-themed party they were organizing allegedly infringed upon TPCi's copyright.
Seattle residents Ramar Larking Jones and Zach Shore attempted to organize the "5th Annual Unofficial Pokémon PAX Kickoff Party." The party would have taken place in the 500 East restaurant and bar on Thursday, on the eve of the local Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) Prime convention on Friday.
TPCi's complaint cites the event's poster, its Facebook promotion, and its advertised activities as the infringing elements. The event's poster used images of the copyrighted Pokémon characters Pikachu and Snivy, and the event had also previously used Pikachu's image to promote the event on Facebook. The complaint also notes that the event would have featured, among other things, "Pokémon themed shots and drinks, Smash Bros. Tournament with cash prize, Dancing, Giveaways, Cosplay Contest and more," as well as an "AMAZIN POKEMON MASHUP."
TPCi's complaint notes that it aims to "put an end to and obtain redress for [Jones and Shore's] blatant and willful infringement of TPCi's copyrights." Ruckus Productions, a business entity that Jones and Shore run, is also listed as a defendant beside both individuals. TPCi is seeking damages, attorney's fees, and an order to stop future instances of the event.
TPCi's complaint notes that the event had been organized annually since 2011.
The manager of the 500 East restaurant said that the event has been cancelled. TPCi's complaint indicates that the party had sold more than 30 tickets.

UK Anime Newsreports that Amazon UK is listing a DVD of the first season of the TV anime of Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. According to the listing, the DVD will be released on September 28 by Warner Home Video with a running time of 595 minutes. The listing only specifies that the DVD is Japanese with subtitles, although an English dub of the show has been made.
The listing describes the story: 'Jonathan Joestar, a young wealthy son living in Victorian England, has his life destroyed by the recently orphaned Dio Brando, who was taken in by Jonathan's father. Dio, who plots to drive Jonathan to insanity and inherit the Joestar fortune, becomes an unstoppable vampire that Jonathan must fight.'
Araki began his long-running action manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1987. He then moved the manga in 2005 to Shueisha's Ultra Jump magazine where it continues to this day, running to more than 100 volumes. David Production produced the television anime that covered the first three parts of the manga. Previously, the manga inspired an original video anime series in the 1990s and a 2007 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood movie

An upcoming Japanese documentary TV series will examine the process of drawing manga from an insider's perspective. Urasawa Naoki no Manben (which, roughly translated, means "Naoki Urasawa's Manga Exertions") is hosted by veteran manga artist Naoki Urasawa (Monster, Pluto, 20th Century Boys) and follows different artists each episode, watching them draw their manga from scratch and exploring what differentiates their styles.

The first episode looks at Akiko Higashimura (Princess Jellyfish) as she draws her Warring States Era manga Yukibana no Tora ("Snow Tiger"), emphasizing her speed and the teamwork with her large team of assistants.

The second episode focuses on Kazuhiro Fujita (Ushio and Tora), who eschews rough drafts and uses lots of white-out to draw his latest series, The Black Museum: Ghost and Ready.

Japanese publisher Kodansha's schedule of upcoming light novels is listing a novel releated to Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail. The new novel, titled Ōedo Fairy Tail, will ship on October 2 in Japan. Ren Kanan is writing the novel and Mashima himself is credited as original creator and illustrator.
"Ōedo" or "Edo" refers to the historical name for the city of Tokyo, before the end of the Tokugawa shogunate's rule in 1868.
The original manga follows the adventures of world's most notorious mage guild, Fairy Tail. It previously inspiredtwo light novels published by Kodansha and written by Miu Kawasaki: Fairy Tail: Kokoro ni Yadoru Color (The Color Residing Within the Heart) in May 2012, and Fairy Tail 2: Dai Matō Enbu Sono Ato, Sorezore no Ichinichi (Each of the Fighters' Day After the Grand Magic Games) in August 2014.

Sentai Filmworks will release the series on Blu-ray and DVD on September 22. Sentai Filmworks describes the story:

Nowhere may seem like just another Yokohama cafe, but as with many of its employees, this apparently innocent eatery leads a double life. Because Nowhere is also where you can find Hamatora, the mysterious detective agency run by P.I.s who are also M.H.s. That's M.H. as in Minimum Holders, individuals gifted with extraordinary powers and abilities. For the right price, you can hire founder Nice, who moves at the speed of sound, and partner Murasaki, whose super strength and near invulnerability are a significant asset. Of course, with incredible talents like these up their sleeves, Nice may not decide to take a case unless it personally interests him. But when a series of serial murders all turn out to involve other Minimum Holders, that interest is about to become extremely personal. Something monstrous is going on, and Minimum Holders as a class may be targeted for extinction!

Two parents decided to work together to give their son a real Transformers cake. YouTube user "russellmonro" first created a platform using a 3D printer with sound clips of Optimus Prime.

The boy's mother then created the cake, keeping in mind to hide the mechanics behind the transformation. Their son, wearing an Optimus Prime costume, can't help but grin when the surprise is revealed. His guests seem pretty impressed, too.

Bless the internet and its love for putting together the strangest things. YouTube user MerFish has taken American opening animation for the original Pokémon anime series and recreated it entirely out of characters from Grand Theft Auto V.
The video went up on Wedneseday, Merfish's birthday. The creator wrote:

Today I turn 23 years old, and for 17 of those years I have devoted my life to Pokémon. It's one of the few video game series that matches GTA in my heart, so surely a combination of the two would be something special, at least for me. So this is my birthday gift to myself that I wish to share with all of you.

The gift Merfish chose to share with the Internet is something to behold. Humanoids painted in garish colors imitating Pikachu, Squirtle, and Meowth. The video stars an Ash unlike his optimistic counterpart. This is an Ash that can only live in San Andreas.

Here's the original for comparison.

Manipulating the GTA V characters was no easy task either (warning for language).

Merfish has previously recreated the openings for Full House, the A-Team and Winnie the Pooh

As the premiere of new series opener The Magician's Apprentice rapidly approaches, here is a roundup of the television channels that have currently announced their plans to show the episode:

United Kingdom: BBC One, Saturday 19th September

The home channel of Doctor Who, of course! Unlike previous years the date was announced quite a way in advance, though the actual time of broadcast has yet to be confirmed - it is expected that the show will occupy the time-slot either immediately before or after BBC One's 'traditional' Autumn Saturday evening entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing. The BBC Media Centre publish their details of programmes transmitted from the 19th September next Thursday (though the time might still need 'to be confirmed').

USA: BBC America, Saturday 19th September, 9:00pm EST

The first channel to announce a broadcast time, BBC America will show the series in its own 'traditional' prime-time slot on Saturday evenings.

Canada: SPACE, Saturday 19th September, 9:00pm EST

The Canadian channel has confirmed to us that they too will broadcast the premiere at the same time as the United States.

Australia: ABC, Sunday 20th September

Trailers have been broadcasting on ABC to confirm that, as in previous years, the episode will be broadcast within 24 hours of the United Kingdom (and also available on their iView platform) - there has been no confirmation as yet whether the channel will also simulcast the episode in the early hours of the morning. ABC's Media Room should have details for that week available next Tuesday.

New Zealand: PRIME

As of writing, PRIME have yet to reveal when they are showing the episode, though they have confirmed it will be in September.

Finland: YLE2, Monday 28th September, ~6:00pm

The Finnish channel have confirmed that they will be showing the series on Monday evenings (these are broadcast in English). The actual time might change from 6:00pm, depending upon other programming.

South Africa: BBC First, Saturday 24th October, 6:00pm

Doctor Who will be one of the flagship programmes on the new BBC Worldwide channel BBC First in South Africa, which launches on the 18th October. The series has been confirmed for Saturday evenings.

Germany: FOX, December

FOX announced that, unlike previous years, they would not be showing Doctor Who until December. Last year there were unforeseen problems over arrangements with BBC Worldwide causing the German dub to be unavailable for broadcast, leading to the channel broadcasting a subtitled English version instead with the German version following after the series had ended - this time around the premiere on the channel will be the German version.

India: FX

The Indian broadcaster has announced that they plan to show the new series, but have yet to confirm the date when the series will start. FX recently took up the mantle for broadcasting Doctor Who in India, where the show hadn't been seen since BBC Worldwide ceased broadcasting there in 2012.

Davison is only the third Doctor actor to write an autobiography. Jon Pertwee wrote two autobiographies; 1984's Moon Boots and Dinner Suits (republished in 2013) and I am the Doctor in 1996, the year of his death. Tom Baker came out with Who on Earth is Tom Baker? in 1997, though he didn't mention much of Doctor Who. While not autobiographies, Colin Baker released two books; Look Who's Talking (2010) and Second Thoughts (2011) which were compilations of the columns he wrote for Bucks Free Press.

The Fifth(ish) DoctorWritten by Peter Davison, with Andrew MerrimanForeword by David TennantPublished on 7th April 2016 (available for pre-order)

After receiving this life-changing phone call in March 1980, actor Peter Davison would go on play the Doctor in the hit BBC series from 1981–84, fighting Daleks, Cybermen and the Master. Now, for the first time, Davison reveals what it was really like to take on this role of a lifetime.

Davison also talks exclusively about this childhood and personal life, as well as describing his work on shows such as All Creatures Great and Small, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Miranda, Sherlock and Law and Order UK.

An 8 page colour plate section will feature images of Davison in his most famous roles, including the Doctor, as well as photographs from his personal collection which have never been published before.

Peter Davison is one of Britain's best-known actors, having starred in All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who, Miranda, New Tricks, Lewis and Law and Order UK. Peter also enjoys a successful career in the theatre, starring in Arsenic and Old Lace, Legally Blonde, Spamalot and Gypsy. He lives in London.

The BBC have announced a special preview of the forthcoming series premiere will be taking place in Cardiff on the 10th September; the event will see both The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar presented by BAFTA Cymru:

BAFTA Cymru presents an exclusive preview of the new series of Doctor Who.

The two-part story stars Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Michelle Gomez and was filmed in Cardiff earlier this year. Directed by Hettie McDonald, Produced by Peter Bennet and written by Steven Moffat, this is the only screening of both episodes ahead of their transmission on BBC One in September.

The double-bill screening will be followed by a panel Q&A session with Peter, Jenna and Steven, joined by Executive Producer Brian Minchin. Hosted by broadcaster Jason Mohammad.

Please note tickets are only available through this site and we request that you do not contact the BAFTA Cymru office when tickets have all been sold.

Thursday, 27 August 2015

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia announced on Wednesday that it will run the Sega feat. Hatsune Miku Project: VR Tech Demo for its "Project Morpheus" virtual reality headset during the "Hatsune Miku 'Magical Mirai 2015'" event from September 4 to 6. Sony will run the demo at its PlayStation booth during the event. The demo will consist of viewing a virtual reality concert of Hatsune Miku.
The demo will be open only on certain hours: at 1:00 p.m. on September 4, at 9:00 a.m. and at 4:00 p.m. on September 5, and at 9:00 a.m. on September 6. The booth attendants will hand out numbered tickets, and if there are too many applicants for the demo, the booth will hold a lottery for the tickets. Sony previously showcased the demo at this year's E3 trade show last June.
The "Hatsune Miku 'Magical Mirai 2015'" event will take place from September 4 to 6, and will consist of two separate events. Three separate concerts will take place in the Nippon Budokan: the first on September 4, and the latter two on September 5. A separate exhibition will also take place at the nearby Science Museum in Kitanomaru Park, which will run from September 4 to 6.

Producer Adi Shankar (Dredd, The Grey) announced on Wednesday that he is working on an animated mini-series based on Konami's Castlevania game series. Shankar also announced that he is working with Fred Seibert and Kevin Kolde of Frederator Studios (Adventure Time, The Fairly OddParents), as Frederator Studios had acquired the rights to adapt the series.
Shankar told the Collider website that he is basing the series' story on the Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse game. Shankar states that the series will be "dark, [and] satirical," influenced by anime such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Ninja Scroll, as well as the American animated series Young Justice.
Shankar further stated that the series would contain "easter eggs" for fans of the game, and the musical score will "use the heavy metal electro guitar vibe found in the early games." Konami released the Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse game on the NES/Famicom in Japan in 1989, and in North America in 1990. The game is set in 1476, and Dracula has Europe under his grip. Trevor Belmont journeys in an attempt to defeat Dracula, and enlists the sorceress Sypha Belnades, the pirate Grant Danasty, and Dracula's own half-vampire son, Alucard

Singer and voice actorMegumi Hayashibaraannounced on her official website on Monday that she will release a new maxi-single CD for the 3x3 Eyesfranchise titled "Samhāra ~Sei Naru Chikara~" (Samhāra ~Holy Power~) The new single celebrates 25 years since she debuted as a singer.
The single will contain the title song "Samhāra ~Sei Naru Chikara~," as well as another new song, "Mō Hitori no Watashi" (My Other Self). Other songs include "raks-ati," which was first featured in the 3x3 Eyes: Tenrin-ō Genmu 1998 PlayStation game. The single will also feature a duet titled "Stay," which Hayashibara performs with Kouji Tsujitani, who plays Yakumo in the 3x3 Eyesoriginal video animation (OVA) adaptations. The single also includes the instrumental versions of "Samhāra ~Sei Naru Chikara~" and "Mō Hitori no Watashi." Yuzo Takada's 3x3 Eyes manga ran from 1987 to 2002. The manga inspired two OVA adaptations in 1991 and 1995. Hayashibara voiced the role of main character Pai in both OVAs. Takada launched a sequel manga titled 3x3 Eyes: Genjū no Mori no Sōnansha (3x3 Eyes: Survivor of the Forest of Mythical Beasts) in February in Kodansha's online magazine Young Magazine Kaizokuban.

The character of Bernice Summerfield will be appearing in Big Bang Generation, a new Twelfth Doctor novel written by Gary Russell. Paul Cornell, the creator of the character tweeted earlier today: "I might as well say it. [Gary Russell's] forthcoming 12th Doctor novel Big Bang Generation features Prof. Bernice Summerfield!". The voice of the Big Finish character, Lisa Bowerman tweeted: "Does this make me canon?". The character first appeared in Cornell's 1992 novel Love and War, which was turned into a Big Finish audio play in 2012 and featured the voice of Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield. The character has been a regular fixture in Big Finish's output since 1998's Oh No It Isn't!, the very first Bernice Summerfield audio story. Bowerman will lend her voice to the audiobook version of Big Bang Generation.

Imagine everyone's surprise when a time portal opens up in Sydney Cove. Imagine their shock as a massive pyramid now sits beside the Harbour Bridge, inconveniently blocking Port Jackson and glowing with energy. Imagine their fear as Cyrrus 'the mobster' Globb, Professor Horace Jaanson and an alien assassin called Kik arrive to claim the glowing pyramid. Finally imagine everyone's dismay when they are followed by a bunch of con artists out to spring their greatest grift yet.

This gang consists of Legs (the sexy comedian), Dog Boy (providing protection and firepower), Shortie (handling logistics), Da Trowel (in charge of excavation and history) and their leader, Doc (busy making sure the universe isn't destroyed in an explosion that makes the Big Bang look like a damp squib).

And when someone accidentally reawakens The Ancients of the Universe - which, Doc reckons, wasn't the wisest or best-judged of actions – things get a whole lot more complicated…

BBC Worldwide are releasing individual Blu-ray sets for Series 1-4 of Doctor Who in the UK on 31 August 2015. The discs, upscaled to 1080i HD originally formed part of the Series 1-7 box set in 2013. Australia have had the individual Series 1-4 Region B sets since 2013.

Doctor Who News has been informed that the new 1-4 releases are identical in specifications as the 1-7 set. This means the discs will play at 24fps instead of the native 25fps.

All 13 episodes from the first series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, written by Russell T. Davies and starring Christopher Eccleston as the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the Doctor meets new companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) while saving her from the living-plastic Nestene Consciousness, before taking her on adventures through time and space, where she meets Charles Dickens (Simon Callow), tries to save her father from dying when she was a child, and helps the Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) battle the evil Daleks and save the world.

All 14 episodes from the second series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the tenth Doctor takes companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) to New Earth and struggles to overcome the effects of regeneration. In the opening Christmas episode London is deluged by Santa Claus impersonators and Christmas trees intent on malice. Mankind is threatened by a planetary invasion and there's only the Prime Minister to battle it out.

All 14 episodes from the fourth series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the Doctor is joined by new companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) as the pair venture through time and space, visiting ancient Pompeii and the planet of the Ood while also meeting the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston).